Naruto: The Nen Sage
by Kurogane7
Summary: AU: Naruto has been taken out of Konoha by a woman of great power and wisdom. He will become Hokage with the power of Nen in his fists! Dungeon Fighter Online Crossover: Initial Striker Naruto/Harem. Rated M for violence, cursing, and probable sex.
1. Rescue

**_A/N: As promised to BlazingDervish, I have made an experimental first chapter to gauge your response. In this story, this is to explore how it would've been like if all the Slayers had gone extinct, and so no GSD. The basic premise of this story will still be the same though. Your reviews will determine if it is worth continuing at any point, so do read and review would you kindly?_**

Key:

_Thoughts_

[Time and Location]

(Different Point of View)

{Play this song now}

…

{Play: "Jumper" by Waterflame}

[Somewhere in Konoha, during the Kyūbi Festival…]

Despite the falling of raindrops, the festivities raged on. Parents were having a good time with their children and games were being played. All this celebration was to commemorate this very special day to the people of Konohagakure no Sato. It was on this very day that the dreaded Kyūbi no Yoko had suddenly rampaged through the village. The damage had been gruesome—not even the women and children were spared, and many shinobi died valiantly trying to fend off the monster. It wasn't until the Yondaime Hokage showed up that the evil being had been killed, at the cost of his own life. From that day on, on this night, a festival was held to commemorate the Yondaime Hokage's sacrifice for his village.

Ignoring the hustle and bustle of the crowd, two female figures of unimaginable beauty appeared. They both had dark brown hair, creamy skin, and coffee-colored eyes with slender frames—their appearances were so similar that there was no way that they were not related. The only major differences between the two of them were their height and apparent age. The taller one was an adult in her late twenties/early thirties, dressed in fine silk robes and possessing a regal air. The smaller one was a child, about seven, with softer, slightly more masculine features than her mother.

"Okaa-san, why are we here?" she asked, looking up at the woman.

The older one smiled slightly down at her daughter and squeezed her hand. "Just paying respects for some friends of mine, Meilan." She carried a bamboo bucket, containing items for maintaining a gravesite. "They died a long time ago, so once a year I come here to see their graves. They were-" However, a small object suddenly rammed into her, cutting her off. Startled, she looked down and saw a small boy with short, spiky blond hair and three whisker-marks on each cheek. She registered, with horror, how disturbingly thin he was (like he frequently starved), the scars that covered his body and the look of heart-breaking fear in his dazzlingly blue eyes. For a moment, she thought that she recognized him…

{Play: "Bad Situation" by Toshiro Masuda}

"THERE HE IS!" called out a voice from down a street, "THE DEMON BRAT JUST ATTACKED A RANDOM BYSTANDER! KILL HIM BEFORE HE FINISHES THE JOB!"

Alarmed, they looked over and saw an angry mob just down the street, complete with pitchforks and torches. The boy scrambled to his feet and took off before the woman could stop him. However, the mob just ignored her and chased after the boy. Absently, she checked Meilan for injuries. "O-Okaa-san, what's going on? Why're they chasing him?"

"I don't know, but no one should have to go through that," the older woman answered. Looking up, she saw a couple of shadows streak by on the rooftops, chasing the mob. Then she looked at the trail left by the mob and noticed a few kunai and shuriken. _Shinobi?_ Suddenly, things began to make a horrible sense to her. "Meilan," she said lowly, dangerously, "Go and find Baihu and Qinlong, tell them to get Zhuque and Xuanwu and follow after me. Something tells me that boy needs help badly.

Meilan nodded uncertainly and asked, "What will you do?"

"Follow them."

…

[Elsewhere in Konoha]

He just kept running. Naruto had been about to apologize to the pretty lady, but the mob had caught up with him. Kami must really hate him right now, because there were also Shinobi in the crowd, judging by the kunai and shuriken he'd had to dodge. _Why does this have to happen to me every year? And on my birthday, too!_ All he'd wanted was to eat at Ichiraku's, have something good for once. Teuchi-jīsan always gave him a head start against the mob by telling him to finish up quickly, and he was one of the good people. Naruto could only hope his night didn't get any worse before he made it to his apartment.

However, running down a corridor that ended in a T-junction, his luck finally ran out. Another mob advanced from one corner, forcing Naruto to run right. Unfortunately, it was a dead end, with a wall much too high for him to climb. He turned to face the mob, creeping backwards as they advanced.

"Nowhere to run, demon-brat!" Sneered a man. Naruto knew he was trapped, but would not give up so easily. There had to be a way out…he looked up and saw a fire escape. He ran for it and leaped, stretching out a hand. However, a multitude of weapons pierced his legs and made his jump fall just short of the fire escape. The ninja dragged him out and into the mob.

"W-why?" he asked tearfully, "What did I do to deserve this?"

As if that were the final straw, the mob started to beat him. Even through the punching and stomping of the civilians, and the stabbing of the shinobi, he heard every word being shouted at him.

"WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU WERE BORN, YOU MONSTER!"

"YOU KILLED MY FAMILY!"

"BASTARD!"

"KILLER!"

"THIS IS FOR MY WIFE, YOU MURDERING PIECE OF SHIT!"

"YOU KILLED MY GIRLFRIEND, AND NOW I'M KILLING YOU!"

"KILL THE DEMON-BRAT!"

"FINISH WHAT THE YONDAIME STARTED!"

Eventually the people of the mob got tired of stomping and punching. A shinobi walked out through the crowd, the people parting to make way for him, as he was an Uchiha. "I don't give a fuck what these people say," he sneered, drawing a ninjato, "Trash like you should never be born. Consider it an honor, trash, to be killed by an Uchiha!"

Naruto was roughly grabbed and placed in a kneeling position, where he would be decapitated. Bruised and bleeding, he could do nothing but close his eyes.

"Who are you all, to say he shouldn't have been born," challenged a voice from the back of the crowd, making even Naruto pause and look over, "And who are you, to say he should be _honored_ you're killing him?"

Said Uchiha turned, surprised, and saw a woman in fine silk robes and long brown hair sweeping through the confused mob. Her hair was tied in a bun, held up by tortoiseshell chopsticks. The way she carried herself practically screamed regality, emphasized by the quality of her robes. He could tell that she was powerful, or at least believed herself to be such. Still, no one could stand against an Uchiha. "None of your damn business, bitch!" he snapped, "This brat dies tonight! Maybe after I'm done with him, I'll show you just how much more powerful the Uchiha clan is too!"

{Play: "Power To Strive" by Shiro Sagisu from "Bleach"}

Snorting, he turned back to Naruto, only to see the woman land behind the Shinobi holding down Naruto. Effortlessly she put her hands on his head and twisted it a full 180 degrees, instantly killing him. For the man pinning the boy's left knee, she sent him flying into the wall with a straight kick to the chest. The final victim managed to get his wits together and tried to stab her with a knife. She only blocked the stab, the punched him in the throat, crushing his windpipe and letting him crumple to the ground, dying of asphyxiation. Now, if those three had been normal Shinobi, then the Uchiha couldn't have cared less, but they were in fact other Uchiha themselves. "I'm sorry, what was that about the power of the Uchiha clan?" the woman asked mockingly, "I couldn't hear you from being too busy killing your comrades, you see."

"AND WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, BITCH?!" shouted the Uchiha, enraged.

"I'm Baihe Huayin," said the woman, her tone no longer mocking, "And don't be fooled. I'm very angry right now."

The man's eyes widened. He knew of the Baihe family. They were reputed to be the mightiest, most dangerous Taijutsu users around, each member possessing the strength to level a city. Baihe Huayin, in fact, was the clan head. He quickly regained his nerve, however. "Who cares if you're from the Baihe? You're still nothing compared to the Uchiha!" Her eye twitched. "In fact, once you're broken and beaten I'll cut off your limbs and rape you until you wish for death!"

He charged, activating his Sharingan. With this there was no way he could-

"Enough out of you."

Even with his Sharingan, the hapless bastard could only watch the punch coming before it hit him. His head exploded into bloody chunks of bone as her fist passed straight through it. The mob began backing away, then backed up further as two more people appeared while Huayin took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her hand with disgust on her face. Both wore hooded cloaks, one in green with the Kanji 'Azuma' on the hood, and the other wearing white with the Kanji 'Nishi.'

Gently, Huayin lifted Naruto into her arms; he had already fallen unconscious. Now that she could study him more carefully, she understood why he'd looked familiar. With that understanding came great anger. "Qinglong," she said flatly. The green-cloaked one bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Take this boy to the Hospital and ask for Hazama-sensei. If they refuse to get him, do what you have to until they do, including killing. Then, take Meilan back to the carriage." The man took Naruto and left immediately. Addressing the person in white, Huayin said, "Baihu, you, Zhuque and Xuanwu will show these _people_," the amount of scorn in the word made it sound like a curse, "Exactly what I think of them. I'm going to have a 'talk' with Sarutobi."

"What if other Shinobi try to stop us?" Baihu asked, revealing herself to be a woman.

"Knock them out if you must," she answered calmly, but with cold fury burning in her eyes, "I only wish for this village to understand my message." She glanced towards the rooftops. "And Eavesdropper-san…go tell your Hokage that by the time I get to his office, he'd better have a damn good explanation for this."

Instantly the Shinobi took off. That woman definitely freaked her out; the Hokage might just have his hands full with her foul temper. She shuddered as screams of terror and death erupted behind her and sped up.

…

{Play: "Evil" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"}

[Hokage's Office, moments later…]

For Sarutobi Hiruzen, this night was not one to celebrate in the least. Struggling to light his pipe, he fervently wished that paperwork was the only thing he had to worry about. A first for him. Hebi had just returned from shadowing Naruto with a grim report. Fortunately, he had waited until she'd left to start shitting bricks. It was bad enough that Naruto had finally been caught by the mob this year. Then said mob had been slaughtered, along with several Uchiha. The worst bit, however, was that Baihe Huayin had shown up in the first place.

He knew, of course, that she always came once a year, but he hadn't expected her to be this late! Of course, he wasn't too surprised that she'd put two and two together so quickly. However, the mob had run Naruto straight into her, sealing both their fates. That is to say, the mob's and his own. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face exhaustedly. The Baihe were known for possessing a Raiton affinity and for superhuman strength, both of which would make the Raikage A green with envy.

In fact, he probably was. Hiruzen remembered hearing about an incident between the Baihe and Kumogakure, nearly identical to Konoha's own incident with the Hyūga. The Sandaime Raikage, desperately wanting more Kekkei Genkai for his village, had attempted to have a then-five-year-old Baihe Huayin kidnapped by an ambassador. As with the Hyūga, the ambassador died. The Raikage then had the balls to demand that the Matriarch at the time give up her head in compensation. Unlike with the Hyūga, however, she told him to fuck off. For some reason, he took exception to that and deployed a whole battalion to kill or capture any Baihe they could lay their hands on. Nine days later, one of them came back, sans an arm and a leg, carrying a scroll. Said scroll contained the rest of the battalion (plus whatever summons had been used), their bodies pulverized into jelly. There was also a polite note with the spread (pun intended) that basically said, "Consider us even. Try a stunt like this again and Kumo will cease to have a population, either human or animal." Needless to say, Kumo had learned their lesson and always made sure to _never_ do anything untoward around the Baihe, for fear of them carrying out their threat. On an unrelated note, the council members swore off toast after the incident.

_A shame we couldn't do the same…_ Hiruzen thought glumly. He prayed that Huayin's Buddhist upbringing would win out over her anger. Or at least make her not hit as hard, because Tsunade had nothing on Huayin… Suddenly he heard his receptionist ask, "How may I help you, madam?"

Oh shit. She was here.

"I'm here to see the Hokage," said the clear voice of Huayin, with an undercurrent of anger, "Preferably immediately."

"My apologies, miss," said the receptionist with a hint of spite, "But I'm afraid Hokage-sama is much too-"

*whump*

Sarutobi gulped at the sound of the woman hitting the wall and sliding down. The door slammed open, revealing Baihe Huayin, with a golden aura surrounding her. A tiny, non-terrified part of his brain wondered what her body looked like under her robes, but her cold glaring made that part shut the fuck up.

"We need to talk," she said, closing the door behind her as the aura dissipated, "_Now_."

She was talking first. Good. "Very well, have a seat."

"I don't need it; this won't take long. I'd seal this room for privacy, though."

Nodding wearily, he got up and walked to the door to set up the seal. He tried not to show his fear, even as he felt Huayin's cold glare boring into his back. Having put it up, he walked back and sat behind his desk. "Well?" he prompted.

"You lied to me." Those four words were calm and melodic, and would have made Hiruzen want to listen to her all day… Except they carried a painful truth. "You told me he died with Minato-nii and Kushina-nee."

"I did," Sarutobi said quietly, "Minato wanted him to become a Shinobi for the village and to be safe."

"Then why didn't you protect him better?!" barked Huayin, "I know as well as you that Minato had enemies, both in and outside the village. If you wanted him to be safe, why didn't you let him be adopted? Why did you go and tell the stupid people that the Kyūbi was even sealed away?!"

That hurt. It hurt a lot. He knew that he should have done all those things, but for one reason or another he hadn't. No matter how good her points were. Yes, he'd screwed up with Naruto, and he would pay with his soul to fix it, but… "There is a reason I retired and gave the hat to Minato," he reminded her, "I'm getting too old to keep making decisions like this. You said it yourself, Minato had enemies in this village. What family would adopt him, knowing that? Knowing that they might be killed because of this boy's father? Besides that, his Godfather is too busy with his spy network to take care of him. As for the Kyūbi…" his face darkened, "I assure you I am not the one who broke the news to them. Someone else- and I think I know who –must have told them that Naruto is a Jinchūriki. And despite all that, I cannot let him out of this village! Who knows what could happen to him?"

"Give him to me," said Huayin, though Sarutobi wondered bitterly if it were a suggestion or a demand, "I'll take him under my wing, keep him safe, train him, and allow him to return in five years."

He had to admit, that sounded like a nice idea. However, he remembered something else. "Need I remind you that the Tsuchikage, one of Konoha's biggest opponents, is a major patient of yours? You don't seriously think he won't make a connection if he sees Naruto, do you?"

The beautiful woman laughed, which made him sag slightly in relief. Anything was better than her getting angrier. "Don't worry, Hiruzen," she said, "Onoki knows I'm the only one who can treat him properly, what with his back problems and all. He wouldn't dare piss off his doctor."

"You underestimate Onoki, madam," sighed Sarutobi, "Few men in the world are as stubborn as him. But on your head be it." He pulled out a blank piece of paper and wrote, 'I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, grant Baihe Huayin five years of custody over Uzumaki Naruto. By the end of the aforementioned five years, he must be returned to Konohagakure no Sato to enroll in the Ninja Academy.' He signed the bottom.

Huayin took the paper and read it over. She did a double-take at the third name. _Naruto? What on earth were Minato and Kushina thinking? Don't they know what it means…?_ Finally, she nodded, folded it up and bowed. "Everything looks to be in order. I'll see myself out; I need to see Naruto and tell him the good news."

"You…do that," mumbled Hiruzen, watching her swaying ass as she left. As soon as she rounded the corner, he slapped himself and went back to the paperwork.

…

{Play: "Sakura's Theme" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"}

[Konoha General Hospital, the next morning…]

With a pitiful groan, he managed to open his eyes only to immediately close them again as he was assaulted by the horrifically blinding lights in the room he found himself in. He tried again, more slowly this time, and tried to sit up agains the protetsts of his sore and tired body. The aches intensified as he struggled, but eventually managed to gather himself enough to prop himself up to a sitting position. Naruto felt a small jolt of fear as he felt a slight shuffling at his side, only to relax as he recognized the purple tuft of hair styled into a spiky ponytail.

"Hebi-nee-chan..." he sighed softly, allowing a small smile to grace his whiskered visage as he watched his ANBU guardian sleep at his side, light snores escaping her masked face as she did so. Although he found it odd for her to be out in the open like this, he was glad for the company nonetheless. Then he jumped as a female voice said, "They were there when I arrived. It looks like they really care about you."

His head whipped around, dizzying himself, as he saw the woman he'd bumped into earlier. He fidgeted. "Ah…sorry for running into you like that…"

"Oh, no need to apologize," she said serenely, "I'm not bothered by it. In fact, I was just with Hokage-sama, and he's given me custody of you."

"Custody- what?" asked Naruto confusedly.

She laughed and ruffled his spiky hair. "Oh, aren't you cute! But anyway, custody means that I'm adopting you, basically."

Naruto's eyes widened. "W-what?" No one had ever wanted to adopt him before (actually, the Ichiraku family had, but they didn't have enough money to support having a second child), but this pretty lady was going to do it for him? "You…you mean that?" he asked, afraid that he might be dreaming.

"Yes," she said, smiling gently, "I do. I'll take care of you, for a while at least. But it won't be here. Not in the village."

Naruto looked at the three females on his other side, his face falling. It was true that he'd always wanted to leave the village, but did he want to leave the people who _did_ care about him? "You won't be gone forever. I'm just going to take you away for a little while, so I can teach you how to defend yourself."

Naruto's eyes widened excitedly. "Ah! You're a Shinobi, miss?"

Huayin laughed. "Oh, no. I'm a doctor, but I can still fight. Anyway, I promised the Hokage that in five years, when you come back, you'll be able go to the Academy and defend yourself, along with the ones you care about."

He looked at the sleeping woman again. He thought about the good times he'd had with her (though not about how those times had been cut short); he remembered the Ichiraku family and their kindness, all the other people who had been nice to him, though there were few. There was Hinata-chan who was shy, but nice to him, as well as his fellow orphan Tenten who managed to find him once in a while when she was not training. As he thought about it, he realized, _If they have to keep helping me, I'll just become a burden…I'll become stronger and pay them back!_ He looked up at the lady. "When do we leave?" he asked simply.

"Tomorrow," she said, smiling, "Though you should travel light. Bring only what you really don't want to leave here."

…

{Play: "Her Most Beautiful Smile" by Noriyuki Asakura from "Rurouni Kenshin"}

[Konoha Gates, the next day…]

Naruto stood, his back to the gate and looking up and over the village and committing the image to memory. He thanked Huayin-san for allowing him to have one last bowl at Ichiraku's and take one last look at his (former?) home. As he stood there, pack on his back, he made an oath to himself; when he returned, he would become the Hokage and earn the villagers' respect and protect everyone dear to him, even if it killed him.

"Naruto-kun, are you ready to go?" called Huayin from the carriage, her daughter sitting next to her.

"Yeah!" he shouted back, running to the carriage. He paused for a second, then waved at the village. "Ja, mata!"

A pair of pale lavender eyes watched him from behind a nearby tree. She saw him wave and say good bye. Even as he turned and ran to the carriage, Hinata waved sadly back at him. "Ja mata, Naruto-kun…"

**_A/N: Done, and done. Please note, I will still make this story a Naru-harem, and as with "Naruto the Dark Knight", Hinata, Meilan, Anko, and Tenten, (Kurama is a bit iffy here) will be at the core, as well as Fem-Sasuke (no twin this time). Also, if this story does in fact have a good enough number of reviews, consider this my request for beta-readers._**

…

**_Vocabulary:_**

**_Baihu—this is Mandarin for 'white tiger', in Japanese she would be known as 'Byakko'._**

**_Qinglong—this is Mandarin for 'blue/green dragon', in Japanese, he would be known as 'Seiryu'._**

**_Zhuque—this is Mandarn for 'red bird', in Japanese, she would be known as 'Suzaku'_**

**_Xuanwu—this is Mandarin for 'mysterious warrior', in Japanese, he would be known as 'Genbu'_**

**_Huayin—this is Meilan's mother; her name literally means 'flower sound' in Mandarin._**


	2. NOT A CHAPTER! Requests

To all those who have reviewed in the last chapter, in the words of the King himself, I say 'Thank-you, thank-you very much!'.

I must apologize for the lack of a chapter at the moment, but I promise you that there will be a serious chapter coming up.

Right now, I am wrestling with myself as to which male characters to gender-bend, aside from Sasuke (who will, without a doubt, be taking on the name Satsuki again).

Your suggestions will allow me to make a better decision later, but don't be afraid to add to that list. And if you're wondering if this fic will turn out to have a massive harem like in "The First Male Nin" by Nightmares Around Winter, then I will assure you that the harem won't be that massive, but it'll still be pretty big. The male characters that are considered will be as follows:

Uchiha Itachi (likely)

Hyūga Neji (likely, but bordering on definitely)

Rock Lee (likely, but bordering on definitely)

Momochi Zabuza

Kakuzu

Hidan

Sarutobi Konohamaru

Kankuro

Killer Bee

Zetsu

A

Kimimaro

Orochimaru

Yagura

Sai

Hozuki Suigetsu

Haku (likely, bordering on definitely)

Gaara (likely)

Inuzuka Kiba

Also, as a reminder to all, I am looking for beta-readers for this story, so don't be afraid to PM me or write in a review if you want to volunteer.


	3. First Day Back

**_A/N: Your reviews have helped in inspiring me a bit to do another chapter, a shame that Nexon is closing Dungeon Fighter Online for North America…if it's any consolation DFO of North America, blame the part of the populace who have no sense of nostalgia or appreciation for simpler gaming. To everyone else, do continue to read and review would you kindly? Also, I give credits to kurokamiDG, TrixBella, and NorthSouthGorem for beta-reading this story._**

…

[Five years later, the gates of Konoha…]

Things had calmed down somewhat in the village of Konohagakure no Sato. It had been five years since Naruto was placed in the custody of Baihe Huayin, and his subsequent departure from the village. While people were indeed glad that he was gone, they were 'advised' against celebrating the demon-brat's leaving—if the slaughter of the last mob were any indication.

"Man, things are really getting boring," sighed one of the shinobi guarding the gates, before glaring over at his partner, "This is your fault, Izumo! Why'd you have to crash into the girl's side of the onsen anyway?"

The man's partner shot a glance back at him, looking scandalized. "Don't look at me Kōtetsu! It was an accident! Besides, I'm pretty sure you were at the onsen with me!"

It just so happened that both Izumo and Kōtetsu had both been having lunch near the onsen yesterday, after a long and stressful mission out of the village. Some loser Genin had knocked over their lunch while chasing down Tora the cat. The two of them gave chase, intent on avenging their ruined lunch. Unfortunately, the two Chūnin forgot that they'd been having lunch near the women's side of the bath. It was not pleasant, especially since Mitarashi Anko had been present. As a result, the Genin team was given another failing mark and Tora remained at large.

Kōtetsu blushed. Clearly he'd managed to get a good look, although some of Anko's more deadly serpents had been threatening them. In fact, try as they might, they could not forget the image of Anko; snakes coiled around her naked body in an attempt to preserve her modesty. "Totally worth it; not one of our Naruto bets, but it would've been less boring than _border patrol._"

Before Izumo could respond, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and looked over. There was a four-horse carriage approaching, made of lacquered wood. It was being escorted by four people in differently colored cloaks and robes, their identities concealed. But what really drew his attention was the white lacquered lotus inlaid on the carriage's sides and front. He recognized it, of course; the clan behind that crest was so well known in the world of Taijutsu that it completely dwarfed the Uchiha. This carriage belonged to the Baihe family, and apparently housed someone important, if it required four guards.

One of them, a person in a red cloak with the Kanji 'Minami' on its hood, stepped forward. Both Izumo and Kōtetsu looked at each other awkwardly, neither had expected their arrival. The person (revealing herself to be a woman) spoke up, an odd drawling accent tilting her words. "Howdy. Would y'all please inform Hokage-dono that Baihe Huayin-sama has returned, and that she would like to see him?"

"Uh, yeah, sure!" said Izumo quickly, "Anything else?"

"I've been tasked to escort Naruto-sama and Meilan-sama to the Academy, but I don't know where it is. Plus, I must still guard Huayin-sama. Would one of y'all be so kind as to do the job?"

"I volunteer," Kōtetsu answered, stepping up, "So, where are these gakis?"

The woman in red shifted angrily. "In the carriage. By the way, if y'all insult Meilan-sama or Naruto-sama in such a way again, I'll rip yer disrespectful tongue out, y'hear?"

Kōtetsu wasn't entirely sure if she was kidding or not. Though they were not strictly speaking Shinobi, he knew that the Baihe clan was never to be taken lightly. After the incident thirty years ago with Kumo, it seemed fully likely that she wasn't. He let a shiver of terror run down his spine before he changed the subject. "A-anyway, could you get them, please?"

"Of course." She walked to the carriage and knocked on the door. Two people came out quickly and walked with her towards them. They were both children, the Chunin noticed. The girl wore a form-fitting, white and orange qipao and was highly beautiful for her age. She had dark brown hair tied up in a bun, with doe-brown eyes, creamy skin, and a muscular body-type rarely seen in a girl of her age. Privately, Kōtetsu thought that with so many good factors going for her, she would become quite the looker in a few years or so. Another, much more private part wished he were just a tad younger—as a matter of fact, he wouldn't be surprised if there were boys at her doorstep even now! However, that wish was rendered moot by the fact that she was lovingly holding hands with the boy next to her; a boy who was surprisingly familiar to bandaged Chunin. He wore a leather vest lined with fur over his shirtless and slightly scarred torso. A string of prayer beads hung around his neck and he wore a pair of black, loose pants, tied with a red sash with golden stripes. There was also a tiger pelt worn over it. The most noticeable part of the boy (as well as the most familiar) was his spiky, golden-blond hair, which was held up by a hachimaki, and his cerulean eyes. The three whisker marks on each of his cheeks settled it. Kōtetsu knew this kid!

"Naruto? Is that you?"

The smile on Naruto's face widened. "Yep! Glad you remember me, Kōtetsu!"

"Wow, looks like somebody's been doing well!" Izumo commented, impressed by the boy's new physique, "Last time we saw you, you were just a skinny little runt. Bet you can't keep the ladies off you now huh?"

The girl flushed in embarrassment as Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "I don't really know about the ladies part, but I've definitely gotten a lot stronger since the last time you saw me!"

"Well, it's good to see you back here Naruto," began Kōtetsu, "Ichiraku-jiji and Ayame-chan missed you a lot too. Although I wish you could've left on happier circumstances…"

"No worries, I've gotten past it Kōtetsu," said the blond, nodding in understanding, "That was then and this is now. I don't intend to let anyone hurt me anymore—neither will I let anyone I care about get hurt because of those idiots."

This brought a smile to Kōtetsu's face. It was not just because things would definitely be more interesting now, but also because he approved of the oath. "Alright, then…you two ready for school?"

"Yes sir!" said Meilan, tightening her grip on Naruto's hand.

"Then follow me, we'll be at the Ninja Academy in no time!"

…

{Play: "Naruto's Daily Life" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"}

[Hokage's Office, half an hour later…]

The Hokage's day was going as it usually did; that is to say is was so full of paperwork he caught himself writing on his skin. If he did not get a break within the next five minutes, he was going to grab the nearest sharp object and stab himself; repeatedly. But there were at least two documents to take care of first; he knew Huayin was due to come back today, with a report on Naruto's progress. Plus there was the matter of enrolling daughter Meilan in the Ninja Academy. Kami knows he was actually looking forward to that; the woman was just as easy on the eyes as she was on the ears. That is, the Baihe were all said to take music, along with Buddhist teachings and martial arts…

His thoughts were interrupted by his secretary buzzing him. "Hokage-sama, Baihe Huayin-sama is here to see you," she said, sounding slightly nervous, "S-shall I send her in?"

"Of course. We do have an appointment, after all." The door opened, and four mysterious people walked in. All wore differently-colored robes that obscured their identities (likely the 'Four Sacred Beasts' of the clan). Finally he saw the very person he looked forward to meeting with. Kami must have blessed her family to give birth to such strong and beautiful people, both inside and out. Given the wealth accumulated by their doctors' treatments, and given from those that went on tour to perform, they were a considerably well-off family. Her steps into the office were every bit as regal as her aura, negating the ominous presence of her guards. "Huayin-dono, please have a seat."

The guards in black and red robes parted ways to allow Huayin to move forward. She graciously took the seat that Hiruzen had offered. "It's good to finally see you on better terms," she said, "I trust the celebrations of that incident have been silenced?"

Hiruzen let out a sigh of exasperation. "Don't worry, after what your guards did to the mob that night, few were stupid enough to incur your wrath again. Though to be honest, you could have at least made the slaughter cleaner—some of my Shinobi got PTSD from seeing the mess." He was not kidding of course; heads that had been fragmented by blunt trauma, bodies smashed against walls, lacerations that spilled all manner of unpleasant materials onto the ground—in short, it was a horror show.

A dark smile appeared on Huayin's face. "You should have been wise enough to keep Naruto's identity a secret to _everyone_—it would've saved me the trouble of killing everyone and leaving such a gruesome message. But all that aside, shall we get down to business?"

"Yes, of course; first off, what is Naruto-kun's progress? I'm sure he's trained under your family in these five years?"

Though he'd never, _ever_ admit it to anyone, Huayin's joyous laugh made Hiruzen's day all on its own. On a deep level, though, he wished that he were much younger (much like Kōtetsu before him), so he could at least try proposing to her. Hearing her happiness made him equally happy. "The extent of his education is…well, I'm sure that teacher at the Academy will find out soon enough. But I suppose you'd like to know yourself, wouldn't you?"

Hiruzen raised his eyebrows in curiosity. What was Huayin talking about? Rather, what was she _not_ talking about? He indicated for her to continue…

…

{Play: "Afternoon of Konoha" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"}

[Meanwhile, at the Konoha Ninja Academy…]

Iruka's day was not going so well. First, he had a killer hangover from a drinking contest the previous night between him, Gai, Anko and Kakashi (which, surprisingly, he won), which was bad enough, but now he had to deal with these noisy brats. The fan-club that had followed Uchiha Satsuki into the classroom was seriously not helping.

Honestly, having your whole family get killed off by an older sibling was no doubt a horrible and traumatic experience, but…she wasn't even trying to curb the constant marriage proposals the boys kept firing off! She wouldn't even stop scowling. Although, the proposals weren't just to her; her friends Hinata, Ino, Kira and Sakura also had to deal with all the unwanted attention. And it wasn't just limited to marriage proposals and date requests from the boys, either; the girls were also told by their parents to befriend the 'Academy Princesses,' and Satsuki in particular was swamped with other girls wanting to become her friend.

They were all called the 'Academy Princesses' not only because they were all very beautiful, but also because they were all the heiresses of powerful people in the village. Uchiha Satsuki, of course, was the sole surviving member of the Uchiha clan (still living in the village, at any rate), daughter of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto, and also the grumpiest girl in the group. Hyūga Hinata was the heiress of the Hyūga clan's Main Branch, beloved of nearly all the Cadet Branch for her kindness, which was in direct contrast with the Main Branch's predominantly arrogant and cruel persona. Yamanaka Ino was the daughter of one of the village's top interrogators, Yamanaka Inoichi; she often fought with Sakura on who would be the first to 'make Satsuki-chan smile.' Inuzuka Kira was the potential heiress of Inuzuka Tsume, along with her sister Hana, and was highly spunky; she also had a white puppy named Akamaru, who was very loyal to her. Finally there was Haruno Sakura, whose mother operated the village onsen, which rivaled the Hyūga spa in revenue. Her mother was also a member of the Civilian Council and her father was well-known woodworker, both having also been Chūnin of high standing.

Iruka's eye twitched as he came in; the noise level was unbearably cranked up, definitely not the way to start the term. He sucked in a lungful of air, ready to use his infamous Dai Onikubi no Jutsu, when the door opened again. The Chūnin let out his breath, startled, but the rest of the class fell silent anyway. He looked around and saw Kōtetsu leading two children. "Ah, sorry Iruka-san, but there're two more students for you. They just arrived today."

"Ah, I-I see..." Regaining his composure, Iruka focused on the two new students. The girl was quite pretty, with long brown hair in a bun and eyes the same color, complementing her pale skin and fit body. The boy was much more visibly muscular, with a few scars here and there. He had short, spiky blond hair, deep blue eyes and whisker marks on his cheeks. Iruka had to keep from flinching in shock. "I'll take it from here, Kōtetsu-san."

As his fellow Chūnin left, Iruka indicated to the two new students that they be seated. As the silent class watched they obligingly sat in an empty seat next to Satsuki, in the middle of the 'Academy Princesses.' Each of them reacted differently. Sakura and Ino both only had curiosity for the newcomers. Hinata studied them both for a moment, then blushed a deep red and looked away from the boy, pushing her fingertips together shyly. Satsuki merely glanced at them before returning to her riveting view of whatever was outside the window. Finally, Kira had hearts in her eyes as she gazed at the boy, though she silently growled at the (in her mind) competition.

Iruka cleared his throat. "Okay then, class… Welcome to your first year at the Konohagakure's Ninja Academy. I'm Umino Iruka, your homeroom teacher for this year. Assisting me will be Mizuki-san. From today onward, we will be teaching you the basic skills you'll need to survive in the world of Shinobi. So, let's get the roll call out of the way. Aburame Shino?" A boy with a high-collared coat, sunglasses, and an afro raised his hand with a 'here.' Iruka marked him down. "Akimichi Choji?"

A round, auburn-haired boy with spiral marks on his cheeks took his hand out of a bag of chips he was scarfing down and acknowledged his presence. Iruka made a note to remind himself to never call the boy fat, as was proper procedure for the Akimichi. The next name on the list made his eyes widen in surprise. "B-Baihe Meilan?"

"Here," said the new girl. Iruka knew of the prestige of the Baihe clan. Who didn't? They were strong, beautiful, and wealthy, all major pluses in the world. The Chūnin wondered at the fact that there was such a person in _his_ class.

He continued with the roll call until he came to the U's. There were quite a few civilian children in the Academy, even more than the clan-less ninja children. "Uchiha Satsuki?" he called.

She did not even look over at him, only grunting noncommittally. A tick mark throbbed on Iruka's temple. It would be so worth it to walk over and give her a good smack, but unfortunately the Civilian Council (with the exception of a few) all kissed her ass. They didn't seem to realize that their indulgent behavior only made her attitude even worse, giving her some sort of superiority complex. If Iruka were to even touch her, the council would be all over his ass for punishment. Lately, the Civilians were starting to intrude more and more into Shinobi affairs; a mistake that had been started by the Shodaime Hokage. He moved on and called, "Uzumaki Naruto?"

Unlike with Meilan, Iruka had recognized Naruto when he'd entered the class, and so he was not surprised by seeing his name, or seeing him answer. He understood, intellectually, that Naruto was not the beast that had orphaned him as a boy, but that did not mean he wanted to admit it. He continued. "Yamanaka Ino?"

With her answer of presence, the roll call ended. There was still work to be done today, but to Iruka this would be much more interesting. "All right, now that we know you're here, we'll be going out to the training ground for a bit of a Show n' Tell. Anyone who already knows some jutsu will follow me, anyone who doesn't can follow Mizuki-san."

…

[Konoha Ninja Academy Training Grounds, five minutes later…]

"Here's what we're going do, class," said Iruka to the gathered students, "I'm going to call you up, one by one, and have you demonstrate any jutsu you might know. If you need special accommodations, let me know. Aburame Shino, you're up first."

So, one by one each student got up to show their teacher what they knew. Shino created a clone out of his Kikaichu, which then burst into a swarm of beetles and flew back under his coat, much to the disgust of most of the students. Choji used the Baika no Jutsu to enlarge his limbs, as well as his torso, before shrinking back. Hinata asked for a dummy to use her Jyūken on, severing the dummy's strings in a matter of seconds. Kira and Akamaru used a jutsu to transform the puppy into a clone of his master. Nara Shikamaru reluctantly used a jutsu to extend his shadow and make Mizuki pick his ear. Ino used her clan's jutsu to take control of a nearby bird and make it dance. Finally, Satsuki used a simple Katon: Gōkakyu to completely obliterate a dummy.

Then it was Meilan's turn. "Meilan-san, if you would?" Iruka prompted gently.

She merely smiled at him and asked, "May I have a boulder?"

He blinked, confused, but said, "Er, I don't think we can find one, but I've got something that might serve as a substitute." He flew through a few hand seals and placed his hands on the ground, causing a pillar of rock to erupt from the ground. "Will this work?"

"Certainly," she chirped, making Iruka smile. She walked right up to it and placed a hand on it, her other hand held in front of her as if in prayer. A golden aura manifested around her gently as she closed her eyes, praying silently. Iruka was bemused by this display, having never seen anything like it before. As he watched, though, he felt something…cleansing from the aura, as if his past sins (or what he thought of as sins) were dissipating into nothingness, leaving only the path to enlightenment. Meilan's eyes flashed open and with a sudden, loud bark, she struck the rock with an open-palm strike. Instantly, cracks spider-webbed across the pillar's surface, before the rock shattered into a hundred pieces. Iruka felt his mouth hanging open as a large, finely crafted Buddha was revealed in the center. It sat, legs crossed in a lotus position of meditation amidst the rubble. Everyone's jaw hit the ground with a crash as they stared, completely stupefied at the strength demonstrated. Meilan walked back to Iruka and tugged on his shirt, snapping him out of his shock. "Sensei, I'd like to donate this Buddha to the Academy," she said simply, smiling charmingly at him.

Iruka could only nod, still struck dumb by the artwork. She'd carved a perfect statue without a single tool! By this time Meilan had already returned to her seat. Many of the boys were utterly dumbfounded at the sheer brute strength that the delicate-looking girl showed, while the girls were already poisonously calling her 'freak' or 'showoff' in their minds. The five 'Princesses,' however, felt differently. Ino and Sakura were both gob-smacked at the show, while Hinata and Satsuki both felt envy for the strength displayed, though for different reasons. Kira had a new respect for Meilan, as well as excitement at the prospect of challenging this girl.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" called Iruka, finally.

Naruto walked down to ground level, eliciting a lot of blushes from all the girls he passed. "I'll need some thick wooden boards and a stand for them."

Nonplussed, Iruka went and got four, ten cm-thick boards, placing them horizontally on a stand. He had no idea what Naruto was about to do, but it certainly would be interesting. Nodding in thanks, Naruto walked up to the setup and placed an open hand perpendicularly on the first board. Like with Meilan, a golden aura briefly flared up, but this time it centered on only his hands. He instantly clenched his hand and brought it down on the first board, smashing a hole straight through it and plowing through the other three boards with no effort. If one were to look at the boards from behind, they would have seen that the holes were progressively larger, the fourth being largest. The teachers were the most shocked; they knew that the boards were made of an extremely heavy and durable species of oak. And Naruto had just punched a hole in it with no effort. Amidst the resultant silence, Naruto walked back to the stands and sat next to Meilan. Suddenly, a good part of the Satsuki fan-boys were considering trying proposing to Meilan, while Naruto had spontaneously gained a fan club of the entire female student body. And speaking of bodies, the girls were all blatantly ogling his muscular form as he sat down, all thinking dirty thoughts. Foremost of these perverted fans were Hinata and Kira, who were right behind him.

{Play: "Sexiness" by Toshiro Masuda from "Naruto"}

However, there was one girl whose gaze was not at all adoring in nature. _That muscle-headed dobe must have had the same training as that commoner. Those auras are the same, on her and his hands. I'd like to feel those hands on my- Wait what?!_ She shook her head and smacked her cheeks, glaring at Naruto. No. There was _no way in hell_ that she would think about boys like that! No perversions for _her!_ She had a goal, no, an _ambition_ to avenge her clan and to restore it to its former glory. Although…maybe it would be worth it to test that dobe out, see if he would make a good sperm donor for the second part of her ambition. Yes…she would show the world that _no one_ was above the Uchiha, not even the Baihe! After class, she would test him; try to gauge the results of her training. Her father had told her that there were no limits when it came to coming out on top. She would not let him dominate her in _anything,_ especially marriage. She would prove to him that the Uchiha clan's highest pedigree was a much better choice for marriage than that Baihe harpy. She would completely dominate him, both in bed and out!

Naruto suddenly frowned. _Why am I feeling so pissed off all of a sudden?_

…

[Meanwhile, at the Hokage's Office…]

Hiruzen sat back, disbelieving. Huayin had certainly spared no expense at teaching Naruto. He stared at her half-smiling face. The boy had learned how to read, write and the other basic stuff from the monks. That wasn't so bad. But she had also somehow managed to unlock his massive potential for Taijutsu…by having all of the Four Beasts teach and condition him. Why would she go that far to train him _before_ the Academy? "I plan on leaving him here with Meilan," she said, answering his thoughts, "She doesn't want a repeat of five years ago, not that I blame her. So I'll leave them both here, to protect each other."

The Hokage nodded at that, but then asked, "How close are they?"

"Hmm…I wonder," she said playfully. When he gave her an 'I'm not stupid' look, she laughed and said, "Honestly I can only guess. Their hearts have been merging steadily, since the day they met. I'd say that it's inevitable that they will marry one day. You don't often find young love like that; I'm quite content to leave her in such capable hands."

That certainly got Sarutobi's interest. Young love, eh? He would have to see for himself. It would also be good to see his surrogate grandson's progress. But as he reached for his crystal ball, Huayin cleared her throat and gave him a look. He sighed and took his hands away, raising them in surrender. For now, at least.

…

{Play: "Ibuki -Twilight-" by Hideki Okugawa from "Street Fighter III: Third Strike"}

[Streets of Konoha, after class…]

As everybody left, Naruto and Meilan exited the classroom to find a large person wearing black robes. The Kanji 'Kita' was emblazoned on the hood. "Ah, Xuanwu! What are you doing here?" asked Meilan.

Xaunwu spoke, his baritone voice revealing his masculinity, "Huayin-sama has given me orders to inform you that Naruto-kun's apartment has been cleaned up and repaired. It is now fit for you two to live in. She also sends her love and regret that she cannot say goodbye. She received a message from a patient and it sounded urgent, so she had to leave immediately. Also, on the behalf of the Sacred Beasts, I wish you both luck in all your future endeavors." He handed Naruto a key. "Here's the key to the apartment; the Hokage had the locks specifically changed and had the door reinforced so no one could break it down again."

"Praise Buddha to you, Xuanwu-sensei," Naruto said gratefully, bowing to him.

"And you too Naruto." Having completed his task, Kita no Xuanwu left to return to Huayin, as was his duty. Naruto and Meilan walked too, but in a different direction, towards the apartment. Neither of them noticed the black-haired, onyx-eyed girl following them, scowling all the way in her intent to learn their secrets.

Fifteen minutes later, the two turned around and confronted her. "You know, your stealth isn't all that great for stalking," said Naruto irritably, "But since you're not really the stalking type, that means you want something. What is it, Uchiha?"

"Fight me, dobe," said Satsuki, "Or are you too afraid to do anything without your muscle-headed girlfriend?"

The blond's eyes narrowed. He knew as well as Meilan did that this was a trap. They glanced at each other, silently communicating each other's thoughts and intentions, before looking back at the other girl. "There're better things to do than to fight pointlessly," said Naruto bluntly, "And fighting you, Uchiha? I'd definitely call that pointless. So, back off before you get hurt. Oh yeah, and another thing; I can sense a lot of darkness in you. Whatever tragedy happened in your past will only bring you a bunch of bad karma if you keep dwelling on it. I'm no priest, but I can definitely give you some advice: let go of it, whatever it is, or it'll ruin you even more."

Satsuki had been told a lot of things in her life. Being told to let go was a new, unpleasantly shocking experience. However, her shock was quickly replaced by anger. How dare he tell her to forget her past, to give up on her ambition! When he and the Baihe slut turned their backs on her, she charged with an enraged battle cry, pouncing at the dobe. However, he spun around and punched her in midair with an open-hand strike, then tripped her up so that she fell flat on her back. Before she could try to get up, he put his sandaled foot to her neck, only putting a little pressure on it as a threat. "Perhaps I wasn't too clear," sighed Naruto, before giving her a piercing glare, "I'd rather not kill someone on my first day back here, but you're not doing yourself any favors here. Like I said, you're already swimming in bad karma with your attitude, which by the way sucks on its own, and you clearly know what's causing it. So, either change your ways and become a better person for it, or destroy yourself beyond repair without my assistance. It's your choice."

He took his foot away and helped her up. Satsuki was surprised; not even a minute ago, this boy seemed all set to crush her throat, but he spared her. She was confused. "Next time, I hope we fight on friendlier terms," said Naruto politely, though there was a slight edge to it. The Uchiha only stared after him as he and Meilan continued down the road. Somewhere, on a deep and very quiet level, she wished she were the one holding the dobe's hand, rather than that Baihe bitch.

…

**_A/N: To those wondering why Naruto knows "One-Inch Punch" when it's a Female Striker-exclusive technique, all Fighter attacks are universal for their respective classes. In other words, while Naruto is a Male Striker, he can also use Female Striker techniques, just as Meilan can use Male Nen Master techniques. As to Meilan's demonstration, I credit "Awakening: Rise of the Architect" by Bardock92 for the inspiration._**

**_…_**

**_ Vocabulary:_**

**_Onsen—this is the Japanese word for "hot springs"._**

**_Hachimaki—this is the Japanese head wrap; this is what Ryu from "Street Fighter" wears._**


End file.
